Most people don’t realize it, but golf is a fairly hazardous sport -- not only because players risk injuring their shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and backs, but also because of the constant exposure to the sun’s harmful rays.

Numerous well-known golf pros have been afflicted with skin cancer over the years, and as a result, there is growing awareness in the sport about the need to get your skin checked on a regular schedule for potentially deadly melanomas and other forms of skin cancer.

But what’s the best way to go about reminding pro players that they need to have their skin checked – and furthermore what’s the best way to schedule screenings to make sure all players are doing the necessary preventative maintenance?

To help address this concern, the European PGA recently started using Screen4Life, a UK-based company which specializes in skin cancer screening, to bring screenings directly to the players, their families and tour staff. The company carries out these screenings on location, while the players are on tour -- right there at the venue where they are playing. This makes it many times easier for the players to get the screenings they need – without having to take the time out to visit a doctor’s office or hospital.

The program offered by Screen4Life has turned out to be incredibly successful -- so successful that the company began to face some challenges in terms of scheduling appointments. With so many appointments and so many locations at which to administer screenings, the company soon found itself having a hard time dealing with all the phone tag, cancellations, rescheduling and no shows that are inherent with that type of business.

To help it address this scheduling nightmare, the company recently turned to the scheduling experts at TimeTrade, a leading vendor of online scheduling software. With the help of TimeTrade’s online appointment scheduling tool, the company has gained new efficiencies and has been able to increase bookings. The players find the Web-based, self-service booking system simple to use, and with its automated reminder system, they are now more likely to keep their appointments. Not only do the players have the ability to schedule screenings online from any location (including from their Web-enabled mobile devices), Screen4Life also provides “kiosks” at each location, allowing players to schedule screenings right at the course.

“Skin cancer is the world’s most common form of cancer,” said Timothy Dodd, President of Screen4Life. “Excessive exposure to the sun increases skin cancer risk—placing golfers in a precarious situation. The good news is that testing and early detection are the best defenses against all forms of skin cancer and help save lives. For European PGA golfers to commit to cancer screenings, though, it has to be convenient. We now offer all golfers on the Tour—the men, ladies, seniors and challengers—the opportunity to schedule their appointments quickly and efficiently using TimeTrade’s online booking system, and we’ve already seen a 20% uptick in bookings.”

In addition to the 20% increase in bookings, TimeTrade has also helped Screen4Life reduced administrative hours to coordinate and schedule appointments, which in turn has also had a positive impact on the company’s bottom line.

Of course, pro golfers aren’t the only ones who need constant screenings (as this former swimming pool serviceman well knows). Everyone should take steps to protect themselves from pro-longed or intense exposure to the sun’s ultra-violet rays. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer has increased 43% in the last 10 years, due mainly to better and earlier diagnosis. But the good news is that it is entirely preventable, and treatable. According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma, the more dangerous form of skin cancer, is now highly curable with a 5-year survival rate of 99%, providing there has been early detection and proper treatment.

“Early skin cancer detection is critical to treating the disease and saving lives,” added Dodd. “Our goal, and the goal of the European PGA Tour, is to make high quality screenings accessible to all tour players, families and staff. TimeTrade is a critical component to making screenings convenient, simple and less of a burden for everyone, so that with proper sunscreen protection we can all go outside and enjoy a round of golf.”

TimeTrade made news on TMCnet in October when it announced that it had hired Cindy Johnson, former vice president of marketing for TrueAdvantage, Inc., to serve as its new vice president of marketing.

The company also made news in November when it announced that it had received $5 million in venture capital, which it will use to stimulate further growth. The C Series round of funding was led by Ascent Venture Partners. Existing investor CommonAngels also participated.

TimeTrade Systems’ on-demand service manages and accounts for an organization’s “time inventory” and enables a high level of rules customization and comprehensive back-end systems integration to ensure end-to-end resource allocation. The service is primarily targeted at large retailers, government agencies, healthcare companies and universities – organizations that need to manage thousands of appointments efficiently. The company currently boasts more than 300 customers, including David’s Bridal, Department of Homeland Security, Quest Diagnostics, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and PETCO.

For more information, visit www.timetrade.com.

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Patrick Barnard is Assignment Editor for TMCnet and Associate Editor for Customer Interaction Solutions magazine. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page.

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